


Break the Chain

by Vixvox



Series: Break the Chain [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixvox/pseuds/Vixvox
Summary: A terrible discovery leads to a bad break up. But who will be broken up more? The Zebra who cheated on his girlfriend or the Clydesdale with anger in her blood.
Series: Break the Chain [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876858





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t every day that brass knuckles were considered birthday gifts, but Athenah was just that kind of woman.

The small gray box lay open in her lap. Torn wrapping paper was flung to either sides of her legs as she stared into the box. Allison had taken care to decorate the box with a small bed of red and white napkins serving as a home for the thick pair of brass knuckles that lay upon them. The knuckles themselves were made of tungsten steel, with a rich midnight-black color with denim-blue framing the darker color in deep thin borders. The knuckles themselves were curled upward into several thinly protruding lines designed for enhanced damage as a weapon.

Technically the gift was illegal to keep on campus, but neither Athenah or Allison really gave a damn.

“So,” Allison asked, “What do you think?”

Athenah looked up from the gift. She glanced around the room before she spoke.

The dairy cow was seated across a table from Athenah. In the center of the table was a two layer cake made with a swirl of chocolate and vanilla frosting. Neither women believed in numbered candles in their cakes, so instead the scene was lit by two bowls upon which electronic candles burned. Music filled the room from a nearby CD player, while applause and hoots from Athenah’s friends drowned out the sounds of dancing from another room.

“It’s nice…” Athenah said.

Allison crossed her arms over her breasts. She clicked her tongue and puffed out her cheeks in an immediately suspicious expression. The girl’s ears flopped as she shook her head side to side. It would have made Athenah laugh on any other day, but that day wasn’t one of the best.

“Nice? Athenah, you’ve been eyeballing those knuckles for weeks! I saw you! I thought you’d have tried them on right now and asked some of the boys if you could punch them.” Allison said.

“I mean, I can’t exactly show them off. You know how the RAs are—” Athenah said.

Allison cut her off with a wag of a finger.

“Nuh unh. I know my friend better than anybody. I even asked Trunk to put on his football gear so you could punch him…well it was his idea, BUT STILL!” Allison said. “Something’s wrong and I’ll make a scene if you don’t tell me what.”

Athenah took another look around the room. The small dorm was at least four people over capacity, with some of the guests dealing with standing room only near the cooler. Every single one were mutual friends of hers and Allisons from classes and activities off campus. She didn’t want to hide her problems from any of them, but a birthday party didn’t seem the right place for unloading her soul.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Athenah said, “Just got my mind on…tests.”

It was a poor excuse and both women knew it. They stared at one another for a long passing moment. Athenah had hoped that Allison would get the hint and drop it, but Allison seemed to be in the mood to push the issue.

She turned away from Athenah and clapped her palms around her maw.

“HEY TRUNK!” The dairy cow called out.

The big bear shouted back in response and nudged his way through the crowd towards them. Athenah snapped her eyes up.

“Dammit Allison…” She said.

Allison smiled. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Look it’ll ruin the party if I do. I promise I’ll tell you…”

Allison shook her head. “Nuh unh. If my bestie is upset, I want to know!”

Athenah grumbled and waggled her hands. She heard Trunk’s lumbering steps as he grew nearer. She wanted nothing more than to just drop the matter, but she had to admit, she needed to tell someone.

“Fine…tell him to, I don’t know, take over the party. We’ll go to your bedroom to talk.” Athenah said.

Allison smiled in triumph just as Trunk approached the women.

Allison and Athenah turned their heads just as Trunk jerked his jersey up his chest revealing the football shoulderpads he wore beneath. He slapped where the chest guards were.

“Yo Birthday GIRL!” Trunk said, “Ready to test out your gift?”

Athenah shook her head.

“No, Allison and I need to talk real quick. Can you handle the party?”

Trunk offered her a nod.

“You got it! Trunk’s in charge!”

Athenah had to grin. Despite her mood, Allison’s insistence on being nosy and Trunk’s big dumb guy routine were just what she needed. She opened her maw to say something, but Allison had already grabbed her wrist and shot up to her feet.

“Don’t let anyone cut the cake without us, Trunk. And ask everyone to leave us alone.” Allison said. “Come on Athenah, let’s talk!”

Athenah let her friend drag her out of the main room of the dorm. The bedrooms were down a hall connected by a long narrow well-lit passage. Allison’s bedroom was on the far end on the right, which meant they could mostly expect to speak in privacy.

Allison tugged her friend into the room then shut the door behind her. She pressed her back to the door and crossed her arms once more.

“Alright, so what’s wrong with you tonight?” Allison asked.

Athenah looked down at her hands and slipped her fingers through the rings of the brass knuckles. She rubbed the protrusions against her other palm as she spoke with a low disappointed tone.

“I caught Brandon cheating on me.”


	2. Break the Chain Chatper 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part two

Athenah’s heart sank when she peeked into her boyfriend’s bedroom. The Clydesdale woman staggered into the door frame as her eyes wavered at the sight before her. Her blood chilled. Her teeth clenched. Her fingers clenched into a tightly packed fist. She might have even heard her deep and angry heartbeats, had the sound not been drowned out by the squeak of bedsprings mingling with the moans of the pair in the bed.

Athenah’s eyes first fell upon a fox woman’s back. She had a small lithe build that reminded Athenah of the gymnasts she knew in high school a few years before. Her tail swished side to side, brushing Brandon’s knees and revealing the soft roundness of her late teen’s ass. Athenah couldn’t see much of Brandon from where she stood, but she knew exactly what to expect. The Zebra had this twitch in his eyes when he was getting off, and his tongue likely rolled out the side of his lying cheating maw. He was a skater by profession and had a build to match, with a light musculature that looked flattering on its own but was postively dwarfed by Athenah’s own statuesque stunner looks.

The pair were locked in the throes of ecstasy and it made Athenah sick.

Her footfalls were deathly silent, as she took a step forward into the room. Her eyes darted from wall to wall searching for objects she could crack aside the zebra man’s head. She then noticed a bright green plastic bag bearing the university’s logo behind the word “Welcome” in bright bold text. 

The bags were given out to incoming students before their first semesters. No one kept them past their first few weeks, since the good stuff inside would have long been used up. Brandon was a second-year senior, which meant the bag could only belong to the fox. Which also meant:

She’s just a freshman

The realization hit Athenah like a truck. The drive and resolve she had to tear the woman off her boyfriend by her hair had left her. The desire to choke Brandon hadn’t abated, but she couldn’t accept the thought of punishing him in front of someone who didn’t know any better. As she forced herself to look away and ignore the lewd clap of flesh against flesh, she stepped backwards towards the door.

Each step was harder than the last. There was still time to turn back and pounce on the lovers and throw each around the room. She sorely wanted to smash Brandon’s face in, even if it meant showing the angrier vengeful side of herself to a relative stranger. But she knew that the pain was too raw and she didn’t trust herself.

Even then, as her mind weighed the options, it became very clear that she couldn’t control herself if the fox tried to defend Brandon, or worse, laid her hands upon Athenah. Athenah was a lot of things, but a bully wasn’t one of them, and as pissed as she was, she’d absolutely snap the little girl in two.

No, Athenah thought, I’ll have to deal with him later when he’s on his own.

Athenah buried her hands into her jeans to keep them hidden. She ignored the crinkle of wrapping paper beneath her fingertips and took the last few steps needed to leave the bed room. She ignored the details of the larger dorm beyond. She forced her way past couches, chairs, and tables making a bee line for the door. She threw open the door and walked out, not bothering to check if she closed the door behind her or not.

As far as Athenah was concerned, she and Brandon were through. The only question was whether or not she’d break any teeth on the way to the breakup.


	3. Break the Chain Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part Three

“After that?” Athenah said. “I just walked around to blow off steam until the party. I didn’t want to say anything in case Brandon showed up, since you worked so hard to organize this party.”

She finally looked down into her friend’s eyes.

Allison had convinced Athenah to sit down on the edge of her bed while she shared her story. The Clydesdale had trouble at first, since her feelings were still raw, her nerves still sensitive. But the dairy cow had a comfortable presence around her that never failed to soothe even the most broken heart. As the taller woman spoke, Allison kept her arms over Athenah’s shoulders and gently rocked her side by side.

She never spoke or interrupted or asked for clarification. She simply listened and Athenah was grateful for that.

“Athenah”, Allison said, “You should have told me. I don’t care who you are. Mess with my friends and you don’t get to have any of my food.”

Athenah smiled. Allison was always on point when it came to entertaining her friends. She often wondered if the dairy cow cooked everything on her own or not, but decided that it didn’t matter. Allison was just Allison and that meant being a damned fine friend.

“But,” Allison said, “What are you going to do? I know you aren’t staying with him.”

Athenah nodded as she looked down at her hands. She had been playing with the brass knuckles throughout the entire story. She slid them on and off her fingers, rubbbed the protusions against her palms, and felt herself growing more familiar with their weight. A thought crossed her mind that made her blood ignite and forced her to suck in a quick drink of air.

“Besides breaking things up? I’d like to know who the chick was and warn her about him…but that always comes off as bitter. She’s a freshman, so she’s barely out of high school and you know how hard they stick to their guns on stupid decisions.” Athenah said.

Allison patted Athenah’s shoulder and squeezed the Clydesdale’s muscles. The woman may have been built like a truck compared to her own softer features, but Allison was always the den mom in any crowd she was in. Allion’s touch drew Athenah’s eyes to hers and demanded absolute attention.

“Well…” Allison said, “I think you should…”

A loud knock snapped the women out of their mood. It took them a moment to realize that the knock came from the other side of the bedroom door.

Allison sighed. “Trunk must have missed someone. Give me a moment.”

The dairy cow slid off the bed. Athenah turned her attention back towards her hands. She shoved the knuckles back into her pockets just in case an RA had come to visit.

She heard the door open with a slight creaking sound from hinges in desperate need for oil. Athenah decided she’d come back and fix that for her when she heard Allison speak.

“Hey, I’m not sure if Trunk told you but…”

Allison squeaked and slammed the door shut. Athenah snapped her attention up and looked across the room at her friend.

“Allison, what the hell was—?” AThenah said.

Allison put a finger to her maw and mouthed out It’s him. It’s Brandon.

Athenah felt her blood boil immediately. She had a feeling that Brandon might show up to this party after all, but he was the last person she wanted to see. After everything that had happened, after learning the truth, it was a struggle to now throw open the door and throw that zebra out the window into the parking lot below.

But this was Allison’s room and party and she couldn’t bear the thought of ruining things.

“Let him in.” Athenah said.

“But…” Allison started.

Athenah shook her head. “I’m not going to pretend things are fine. But I don’t want my drama getting to all the guests. You know what Trunk would do right and I want first dibs.”

Allison smiled. Trunk was not the brightest of guys in most cases, but the big lug had a heart of gold and he made sure people were treated right. Still, Athenah deserved first dibs on dealing with Brandon, so Allison played along for the sake of peace.

She turned and opened the door.

Athenah’s face narrowed as she rose from the bed and stared into her ex-boyfriend’s eyes. The zebra had a smirk on his maw that reached his eyes and a swagger in his stance he didn’t deserve. One hand was shoved in his pocket while the other arm was leaned across the door frame in something that might have been cool on a less dickish man.

Athenah waved a hand in greeting. Brandon clicked his mouth and pointed a finger gun at the Clydesdale.

“So uh…sorry I’m late. I had stuff to do and people to see…” Brandon said.

Athenah twitched. Allison’s fingers closed and opened anxiously.

“…anyway, I’m here now. Happy Birthday sweetheart.” Brandon said as he pulled his hand out of his pocket.

Athenah watched as Brandon approached her with a warm smile on his face. He had a small jewelry box in his hand wrapped in a tiny blue and black bow with a tiny card that bore her name. He made a theatric and showy bow before holding it out for her to take. But before she could move, he opened the lid just enough so that Athenah could see the sparkle of a ring glinting on the inside.

“We’ve been dating for a few months and there’s no way that I would miss making this the first day of another hot new year.” Brandon said.

Ok, that’s enough of that.

Athenah gave her friend an apologetic glance. Allison nodded in response accepting whatever Athenah had in mind. The Clydesdale then looked at Brandon and raised an arm up and across her body as if she were ready to swat a fly.

Brandon looked up just in time to see the backhand coming and dodged backwards with barely an inch separating her fingers and his face. He leapt to his feet and scrambled back against the wall pointing an accusing finger at Athenah.

“What the fuck?!” He said.

Athenah stamped her foot and snarled as she spoke.

“You bitch! Don’t act like you don’t know. I saw you today with that Freshman Fox!” Athenah said.

The music died down. The conversation in the next room came to a screeching halt. Someone coughed uncomfortably in the other room, but no one made a move.

“Wh-what are you talking about?” Brandon said.

Allison looked at Brandon.

“I think you should leave.”

Athenah breathed in deep.

“Look, tell Trunk to throw him out if you have to. I’m gone. Thanks for the birthday party.”

Athenah ignored her friend when she grabbed her arm. She didn’t want her friend to feel bad, especially since it wasn’t her fault. Brandon was a bastard, without a doubt, but she knew the guy would insist on sticking around. He’d try and shmooze himself out of trouble and it would cause her to literally pound the man’s face in. Even if she was in the right, she didn’t want anyone here to see that side of herself.

She walked past the other guests waving away any words or touches that came to her. She kept her eyes forward towards the door. When she reached the front door, she threw it open wide.

The sky was dark from a light overcast of rain clouds. The cool silent air was interrupted by the pitter patter of raindrops against the dorm’s windows. Athenah thought to grab her jacket from the guest closet, but the last thing she needed was for anyone to see how angry she was with Brandon.

She simply walked out into the night.


	4. Break the Chain Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Four

Athenah didn’t want to go back to her room. She knew that that’s where her friends would expect her to be and she needed time on her own. She didn’t want to go to any of her favorite spots around campus, since she didn’t trust herself to not snarl and throw things around. It was a frustrating feeling to find herself held back by concern for her friends’ things while wanting nothing more than to really let Brandon have it.

The rain had picked up over the twenty minutes she’d been walking after she left Allison’s room. The light drizzle picked up pace and became a steady stream as chillingly cool water splashed down her main, ran down her back, and made her top cling to her breasts. Her breathing was slow and deep as if every breath was a sip of water in a desert.

Athenah stopped beneath a bus stop gazebo and stared up at the night sky. The campus looked lovely at this time of night, especially when illuminated by brief flashes of lightning that danced across the otherwise endless black. Athenah sighed and watched the thunder crash, while her mind took in what she knew of the day’s events.

She imagined that Brandon was facing the ire and anger of all the guests, since Allison was sure to have told them all what happened. She frowned and wondered what Brandon might have said and if Trunk had gotten ahold of him before the little rat could scoot out to the stairwell and run back to his freshman girl.

At least he knows we’re through, Athenah thought, saves me the trouble.

Athenah licked her maw kicked absently at a stone. The stone bounded away from the bus stop until it hit the high point of a shallow angled hill. She watched the stone roll down towards the flat straightaway below until the roar of an engine caught her attention.

Who’s driving around in this weather? Athenah wondered.

The clydesdale narrowed her eyes and studied the oncoming vehicle. She didn’t recognize it until the vehicle had come to a stop across from her.

“You’ve gotta be fucking me…” Athenah thought as she looked at Brandon’s pick-up truck. “What do you want?”

Brandon slid out of the car with an umbrella in his hand. He clicked the button and approached Athenah with an expression of utter dismay and disappointment. He looked like he was trying to be remorseful, but it just made Athenah cross her arms and glare.

“Baby. Allison told me what I did wrong. I had to duck under Trunk’s arms so I could come out and explain what happened? You gotta listen to…”

Athenah stomped her foot and stepped closer to Brandon. She grabbed hold of his collar and shook him then threw him back against his truck.

“Explain?! What the hell do you need to explain? What? The fox exploded out of her clothes and fell on your dick? I saw you fuck her!” Athenah said.

Brandon brushed off his collar then peeled himself off his car. He drew in a deep breath then stood up straight as he could to try and match the taller woman’s eyes. The Zebra bobbed his head as he spoke.

“I see what’s going on. Look, you have to understand something about what we have.” Brandon said.

“Have? Oh no..we’re through!” Athenah said.

Brandon ignored her as he continued. “See, you seem to think we were an item. I only asked you out because my friends dared me to. They didn’t think I could get the tall beauty to be my girl…but sex with you has been great so I thought we were just having fun. I love you, but I’m not IN love with you. So sometimes I want a smaller girl since you’re all curves you kn—OH!”

Athenah caught him off guard with a right hook that sent him spinning and slamming into the side of his truck. Athenah’s knuckles might have hurt from the force of that blow, but she had found the brass knuckles in her pocket and decided that now was as good a time as any to break them in.

Brandon turned and swore at Athenah as lightning struck down a tree nearby. The tree snapped and crashed against a set of looser telephone wires making sparks that thankfully never erupted into a fire. But the pop and flash of lightning and electricity served as strobe lights to highlight every punch and strike from the Clydesdale. The tungsten steel knuckles held true as blow after blow pounded the zebra into the dirt. 

Brandon went from shouting at Athenah and calling her a bitch to curling into a ball and trying to scramble away. But not once did he apologize. Not once did he own up to being a cheating scumbag. Not once did he admit to bringing all the pain on his own head.

But time was lost for Athenah as shes threw punch after punch. She felt her arms tire out after an unknown amount of time. She felt her fingers ache from the few bad punches she threw. She felt her chest heave as if she had released a sigh she choked down all damn day long.

When the adrenaline finally wore off, she caught herself standing and staring at her boyfriend. His chest moved up and down and soft pitiful sobs left streamed from his face. He grasped his shirt and jerked it up seeing the blood that covered it to mar his self-styled immaculate image.

“Athenah” Brandon said, “Look what you did?”

Athenah stared at the zebra. Of all the things he could have said, that was what he chose. Did he think that she didn’t understand her own actions? Did he think that she gave a damn? She honestly had to throw her head back and laugh.

“What the fuck?” Brandon said with a cough. “What the fuck you laughing for?”

Athenah walked past Brandon. She was tempted on kicking him in the teeth, but she did more than enough damage. She did meet his eyes however and simply said.

“You fucked up. You made me think you loved me and brought this on yourself. I just hope that that fox figures you out before you hurt her, because I got my eye on you. And I will end you if you ever try and pull shit like this again. Got it!”

Athenah didn’t need to wait for a response. Brandon’s fearful turn away from her fierce gaze was more than enough. She was free of him now and walked off into the rain satisfied that she got first dibs on paying the bastard back.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to thank @AthenahWinters for commissioning me and trusting me with her character. She's a pleasure to write for and I hope to do so again soon.


End file.
